Inside the bedroom, Sakayanagi Arisu sat quietly beside the bed, cradling the instant milk tea Kure Ragna had just made for her.
The mug was an ordinary one, yet the way she delicately held it from the bottom, rather than using a saucer, gave her the appearance of a disguised princess enjoying an afternoon tea.
She gently blew on the wisps of steam rising from the cup before using her little finger to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Lowering her head, she took a small sip.
So sweet.
"Actually, I prefer coffee over milk tea," she murmured, placing the mug back down.
Before she could say more, a voice interrupted her, blunt and unbothered.
"Don't even think about it. With your weak heart, just drink the milk tea. Coffee isn't good for you."
Kure Ragna, now dressed in clean clothes, was lounging in a computer chair at the desk. He held a mug identical to hers, except for its slightly different color.
As if to soften his earlier tone, he added, "But if you just don't like sweet drinks, I can make regular tea next time."
"I want oolong tea," she requested without hesitation.
"Ohh."
Without any objections, Kure Ragna raised his own mug, drained the remaining milk tea in one gulp, and set the empty cup down before standing up.
"Alright, let's go buy some after you finish yours."
"Now?"
Arisu blinked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah."
Kure Ragna grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the desk, casually spinning them in his hand.
"I was planning to go to the mall anyway. I need a new pair of sunglasses, so I figured we could buy the tea at the same time. Maybe grab dinner while we're at it."
"Eh?"
"…What?"
Seeing her hesitate, he raised an eyebrow.
But it didn't take long for him to figure it out.
"Ah, don't worry about the points. Before I came back today, I had a little chat with the idiots in our class. I doubt they'll be causing trouble anytime soon… at least if they care about their quality of life."
"So that's how it is~"
Arisu accepted his explanation easily.
The scene shifted to the first floor of the bustling shopping mall at the heart of the campus.
Calling it a mall was somewhat misleading—it was more like an entire commercial plaza, with a pedestrian street brought indoors and several entrances leading in and out. The moment one stepped inside, shops lined both sides, selling everything from perfumes and clothes to luxury bags.
The upper floors housed various restaurants, offering Japanese and American cuisines among others. Even further up, there were entertainment facilities like a cinema and karaoke rooms, though those would be explored another time.
For now, their destination was the tea shop on the first floor.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
Ignoring the overly polite farewell from the tea shop owner, Kure Ragna walked out, a plastic bag in hand.
Sunlight streamed through the transparent roof above, casting a warm glow over the shopping center. Holding up the translucent bag, he eyed the carefully wrapped tea inside and sighed.
"...I didn't expect it to be this expensive."
It wasn't an exaggeration. The bag was so light he could barely feel its weight, yet it had cost him over two points.
In the past, such an amount meant nothing to him. Even if the price had an extra zero at the end, he wouldn't have cared.
But here, yen was worthless. Points were the only currency that mattered, and with only six points to start the month, he had already spent nearly half in just two days. After buying the tea, his balance had dwindled to barely over three points.
It was the first time in his life that Kure Ragna, the heir of the prestigious Kure clan, understood what it meant to be broke.
To think that back home, he used to drink this stuff like water…
"That's why I told you to go for a more affordable option," Arisu teased as she approached, tapping her cane lightly against the floor. Seeing his troubled expression, she let out a soft laugh.
"Regretting it? You could still return it, you know."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Returning a gift just because it's expensive? That's way too shameful."
Lowering his arm, he cast her a glance from behind his sunglasses.
"Alright, let's go pick out my new sunglasses next."
"..."
For a brief moment, the smile on Arisu's face disappeared. But it quickly returned, as graceful as ever.
"Very well. Let's go."
Unfortunately, the optical store was right across from the tea shop.
As Kure Ragna entered, carrying the bag of tea, he could practically feel the sales clerk's puzzled gaze on him.
And when he walked past the regular glasses section and headed straight for the sunglasses display, that confusion only deepened.
"Alright, I'll take this pair."
Without hesitation, he grabbed the most basic black sunglasses from the rotating display stand. Square-framed, full-coverage—just like the ones old-school gangsters used to wear in movies.
"Wait a moment."
Just as he was about to pay, Arisu stopped him. Standing beside another display case, she had a different pair in hand.
"Come here."
"What is it?"
Though unsure of her intentions, he walked over obediently.
Arisu held up a pair of wine-red sunglasses, grasping the temples with both hands. Instead of handing them over, she turned and faced him.
"Try these on."
"Alright."
Kure Ragna instinctively reached out to take them, but before he could, she lightly tapped the back of his hand.
Huh? Why'd she hit me?
He looked up in confusion, only to see her still holding the glasses, a composed smile on her face.
Oh. Got it.
He wasn't dense. Understanding what she wanted, he took off his sunglasses, closed his eyes, and bent down slightly so she could put them on for him.
For a moment, their breaths mingled, and the warmth of their bodies seemed to blend into the air between them.
Arisu's lips pressed together slightly as she carefully adjusted the glasses on his face.
"Okay. Open your eyes and see how they feel."
Kure Ragna frowned the moment he did.
"Arisu… isn't this color too light? People can still see my eyes."
"Don't worry."
Before he could protest further, cool fingers cupped his cheeks.
In the background, the sales clerk—a young girl—looked like she was about to cry from witnessing such an obvious display of affection.
With a slight movement, Arisu drew even closer, her voice soft.
"As long as they don't get too close… they won't see a thing."